Improvement in head-dresses



V T. HULL. Head-Dress.

No. 221,069. Patented Oct. 28, I879.

Fiy.1' Fiy. Z

fl e83. Q I INVENTOH.

N. PETERS. PRDTO-LITHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT DFFIGE.

VQRNUM T. HULL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN HEAD-DRESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 221,069, dated October '38, 1879; application filed July 23, 187-9.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VARNUM T. HULL, of Chicago, in the county of'Oook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Frames for Supper-ting the Hair, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for supporting the hair when made into wigs, headdresses, 85c.

Heretofore devices for supporting the hair in wigs, head-dresses, 850., have been made of a series of interwoven wires or flat metal strips, forming a frame that will almost, if not entirely, surround the head. Others have been made of a flat metal strip, forming a rectan gular frame, open at one end.

I11 those first mentioned inconvenience is experienced, on account of the weight and of the tendency to press so hard at certain points as to cause soreness, and thereby inflict pain upon' the wearer, for the reason that it is almost impossible to adjust them the same to all parts of the head.

The rectangular frame referred to obviates some of the above objections; but with these frames great difficulty is found in making them retain the correct position upon the head, or, in other words, prevent their shifting about. The head being rounding, and at the same time oblong, this frame will not rest evenly upon it at all points.

There islalso a tendency of the two arms forming the sides of the frame to draw together toward their ends, so that the webbing to which the hair is attached will wrinkle between the ends and expose the scalp underneath. Thislis lbecause a pressure inwardly upon the ends centers at the corners where the two sides join the end piece, instead of be- 1n gjtransmittedlthrou ghoutLthe frame, thereby straining the corners, so that the arms remain bent instead of resuming their original position.

In manufacturing head-dresses it is desirable to have a greater quantity of hair upon the sides than at any other point, so that it maybe spreadIout upon the sides of the head to cover the same.

It will be observed that in the frames last described, unless the frame is made very large and clumsy, or an additional piece is secured to the sides thereof, it is impracticable to thus attach the desired quantity of hair to the frame.

The object of my invention is to produce a light, strong, and pliable frame for supporting hair used in wigs, head-dresses, and other like articles, that will, by reason of its peculiar shape, perfectly adapt itself to the contour of the head, and at the same time admit of-a greater quantity or breadth of hair being woven in the netting attached thereto on either side of and between the center of length of the partline and the opposite edges of the frame than near the ends of said line.

To this. end my invention consists, first, of a frame to support the hair, consisting of an endless strip or plate elongated, and having its edges curved at all points to form a complete oval; second, of a frame to support the hair, eon sistin g of a bent or stamped flat metal strip elongated, and open at one end, having its edges curved at all points to form an oval; third, a frame, substantially as described, for supporting the hair whose inner edges form an oval, and are at apoint above the outer edges of said frame, whereby the frame adapts itself to the rounding off of the head.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure 1 is a plan view of a complete oval; Fig. 2, a similar view of an open-end oval, and Fig. 3 a transverse sectional view through the lines as a: of Figs. 1. and 2.

A represents a frame or rim of an endless strip or plate, elongated, and havingits edges curved at all points, so as to form a complete oval. B is a similar-shaped frame or rim having an opening at one end. The .frame A is used in making wigs, &c.,when greatstren gth and rigidity are required; but ordinarily I prefer to use the open-end frame B, for the reason that by having the open end in front of the head-dress it does not interfere with or show in the part-line, and that it is better adapted, in making light pieces, worn on the front of the head, as a front head-dress when it is desired to avoid injury by the crimping, waving, 850., of growing hair. These frames may be made of any suitable width or size which best adapts them to the purpose for which they are used, and of strips of steel,

brass, tin, or other metal by stamping out, outing, or other process. I may also use a thin lamina of wood or rubber, or any other substance which may suggest itself as suitable for this purpose.

0 U indicate the part-line of the hair, extending from end to'end of the frame. It will be seen that at the dotted lines a; w a greater quantityofhair maybe woven in anetting with which I cover the frame on either side of this line and the edges of the frame than at the line 3 y. This feature is very desirable, because of the head being greater in diameter from the front to the back than from side to side. More hair is required to cover the sides of the head than the front and rear.

It will be observed that the inner edge of the frame is made higher, as shown at d, than the outer edge, 0, so as to adapt itself to the gradual sloping of the head from its top and permit the entire under surface of the frame to rest upon the head. Frames having a rectangular form will not admit of this, because the corners or sides cannot be drawn down to the curvature ofthe head without causing them to warp at some other point.

My frame adapts itself so nicely and perfectly to the contour of the head that it refluires no fastening device to prevent its twistlng or slipping out of place when in use. It also has great elasticity and strength, by reason of its form, fora pressure at any one point is evenly distributed over its entire surface, so that it will not be strained or lose its elasticity,

as in other frames above described.

I am aware that frames have been made of a metal capable of being drawninto wire; but this I do not claim, for I may use any other metal which has not this peculiarity.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1sa.

1. In a head-dress, a frame to support the hair, consisting of an endless strip or plate elongated and having its edges curved at all points, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a head-dress, a support for the hair, consisting of a bent or stamped flat strip elongated and open at one end and having its edges curved at all points to form an oval, as and for the purposes set forth.

3. A frame, substantially as described, for supporting the hair, the inner edges of which form an oval and are at a point above the outer edges of said frame, whereby the frame adapts itself to the contour of the head.

4. A head-dress support consisting of a strip or plate curved at all points, so that a greater quantity or breadth of hair may be secured thereto on either side of the part-line, extending from edge to edge between the center of length of said line and the opposite edges of the frame, than at or near its ends, whereby the hair may be made thicker upon the sides of than on the back or front of the head.

VARNUM T. HULL.

Witnesses:

E. KIRBY MoLAUGnLrN, HENRY MARTIN. 

